HISTO 11: Class Lecture Summary (November 15)

1.) According to John, the issue with the Marxists is that Jose Rizal’s work cannot be read and
evaluated separately as his whole works are a part of a collective.
2.) His works provide the blueprint for attaining Internal Revolution. Rizal’s works points out:
“How can a group of people be expected to win or die for their country if they are not
proud of being Filipino?”

I do not mean that our freedom is to be won at the point of the sword; the sword
counts for little in the destinies of modern times. But it is true that we must win it by deserving
it, exalting reason and the dignity of the individual, loving what is just and what is good, what
is great even to the point of dying for it. When the people rises to this height, God provides
the weapon, and the idols fall, and the tyrants fall like a house of cards, and freedom shines in
the first dawn.
Rizal's El Filibusterismo

3.) The 3 Big Pieces: Annotations of Morga + Noli Me Tangere + El Filibusterismo = Charter for
Filipino Nationalism

First Step: The Annotation of the Morga

- Filipinos believed the misinformation and prejudices about themselves and the country.
- Rizal annotated the Morga to debunk what the Westerners or Europeans thought of them and
also to show the Filipinos that they should be proud of their culture and way of life.

Second Step: Noli Me Tangere

- Rizal wrote it to reflect the current social issues and injustices happening in the period.
- He wanted the Filipinos to realize that they are suffering under tyranny and oppression from
the Spanish.

Third Step: El Filibusterismo

- El Filibusterismo presents the answer to the question of “What to do?”
- Rizal provided two choices within the story which were represented by two characters in the
novel. These characters were Simoun and Padre Florentino.
- Simoun represented the choice of going forward with the armed uprising while Padre
Florentino represented the choice of patience and prudence before making a huge decision
(Internal Revolution)

4.) Internal Revolution (Step 1) is very crucial as according to Rizal, there is a danger of bypassing
Step 1. Internal Revolution is the sacrifice of one’s self for the whole of the community.

Our misfortunes are our fault, let us blame no one else for them. As long as the
Filipino people do not have the sufficient vigor to proclaim head held high and chest bared,
their right to a life of their own in human society, and to guarantee it with their sacrifices, with
their very blood...why give them independence? What is the use of independence if the
slaves of today become the tyrants of tomorrow? And no doubt they will for whoever submits
to tyranny loves it!
Jose Rizal, Noli Me Tangere

5.) The 3rd argument that Constantino presented is that Rizal and his message are irrelevant to the
present. However, it can be argued that Rizal’s message is still valid as if the Filipinos underwent
“Internal Revolution”, the country wouldn’t be facing the current issues. (ex. Consistently electing
incompetent people into Senator positions)